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NON-C\RCULf\1\NG From the President 2 Recipients of the Oakland University • Teaching and Research Excellence Awards, 1982-86 Robert 1. Facko 4 Ranald D. Hansen 6 Richard B. Stamps 8 Charles W Akers 10 Dolores M. Burdick 12 Gilbert L. Wedekind 14 Nigel Hampton 16 Arun K. Roy 18 David J Downing 20 Sheldon L. Appleton 22 1987 in Brifij 24 Financial Highlights 27 ~\) UNIV' Oakland University is an institution of many facets. 'Ib some, it is ~ <?/> an agent of Michigan and its people, created to serve the public with ~ 1987 T~ ~ PRESIDENT'S ~ challenging and meaningful educational opportunities. Others envision o REpORT .-< Oakland as a hub of discovery, a site where cutting-edge research advances our society and where scholarship brings new enrichment to our lives. These are but two of the ideals which we at Oakland University have pledged to uphold. At Oakland, however, such ideals are not the wistful dreams of educators; we have made-and will continue to make-these ideals a reality. Observers can best view our commitment to educational opportunity and scholarly advancement through our faculty. People-students, staff and faculty-are the soul of a university. In this report we highlight the faculty, for it is the faculty who keep and disseminate knowledge from the past. It is the faculty who conduct experiments, who formulate new ideas, who extend the frontiers of human knowledge and understanding. And each year these achieve• ments are applauded when Oakland's faculty select from their ranks only two or three of their best and brightest. These few professors are the honored recipients of the Oakland University Teaching Excellence and Research Excellence awards, first bestowed in 1982. For what are they honored? Certainly not a specific field of learning alone, for the first 10 award recipients represent a kaleidoscope of academic disciplines. Among them are an engineer and a musician; a historian and a mathematician; a social psychologist, a political scientist, and a biologist; scholars of American and British literature, European literature and film, and East Asian anthropology/archaeology. Yet these 10honorees share certain traits, which, when woven together, are useful when defining "excellence." Consider dedication. Excellent teachers and researchers bring uncommon enthusiasm to their work; they give themselves over completely to their instructional and scholarly responsibilities. Oakland students benefit greatly from this dedication, for it inspires them to go beyond the routine of classroom assignments into the realm of learning for learning's sake. Likewise,the research award winners approach their studies with vigor. Their examples impel their peers to join them in the quest for new knowledge. Creativity is another quality found in the concept of excellence. Those recognized for their superior teaching are creative communicators ..They present to their students the tantalizing fact, the provocative concept which paves the way for the transfer of information and ideas. Their minds seem to surpass commonplace notions and attain those original perspectives that yield discoveries. Excellence also entails intellectual versatility. Not only are the award winners proficient in several fields of study, they also perform adeptly their multiple roles as faculty members. Thus, the researchers are skilled 2 teachers, the teachers accomplished scholars. And all contribute generously to university life with committee or administrative responsibilities. You will note that the three professors honored for research and scholarship are meticulous and thorough. Indeed, they have their instants of illumination. Yet these moments occur only after painstaking hours of formulating concepts, designing methodologies and verifying research or scholarly findings. It is this careful work-such as dedication, creativity and versatility-that is rewarded with the research excellence award. The faculty members cited for outstanding teaching also are united by a single quality: They induce their students to think. Thus, the professors cause their students not only to know subjects, but also to interrelate this knowledge. In so doing, they provide to their students skills which will serve them throughout their lives-skills of reason, humanity and insight. We at Oakland University are proud to offer our constituents faculty of this caliber. We are proud to laud their achievements with the teaching and research excellence award.,. The following pages will reveal how the award recipients have helped to make Oakland an inspiring, vital place where thousands of students gained access to excellence during 1987 and in years past. And I'm certain their contributions and those of their talented colleagues will lead us to greater accomplishments in years to come. ~EJoseph E. Champagne President - A:~DUN//> I '?' ~> !~ 1986 1:i; (I ~ TEACHING ,..;-.,\ Robert I Packo ,0 EXCELLENCE >-<1 \*) Music "His spontaneity and enthusiasm "u.1 .1e showed up for every office consultation. He came almost for both teaching and music really every day with questions. We'd talk. I'd suggest some reading, give him come through. He wants his students to succeed, to think a book. The next day, he'd be back with more questions. It was independently-and he works very wonderful. hard to find new ways of presenting "With a student like this, 1 become a better teacher because he information. He changed my approach to teaching. When I'm makes me dig for things 1 didn't know were there. not getting through to a student, I "Students like him make my day. work much harder at finding different ways to present the "1 try to make my students understand that music does not exist in material: I attribute that to his a vacuum. 1 want them to know how it's been shaped by culture, by example. political events, by social events-that it's very much a product of its "lliu don't forget someone like Bob Facko. He hasn't lost the time. quality of delight in what he's "Oakland has a unique ability to offer this kind of interdisciplinary teaching. There's a spark there." approach-it's what we are. Our students will not become obsolete. Shirley Muench holds an M.Nlus. They can't-because of the knowledge they have. ('81) in piano pedagogy. She and Oakland alumnus Daniel Broner "There's an excitement that comes from a young mind-that's any founded the Rochester Conservatory person who is learning, whether at age 70 or 17. To see them grow is of Music in Rochester, Michigan. very rewarding. "Every day 1 thank God for giving me a profession 1 love. 1 realize what a luxury that is. Teaching and music are the loves of my life. 1 wouldn't want to do anything else. After 25 years, I'm still having a ball." ••• -------- __ L Education: Ed.D. in riano redagogy, Columbia L'nivcrsity; B.Mus. and M. Mus. degrees in piano, L'nivcrsity of Illinois. Teaching Responsibilities: Associate professor of music. Scholarly Achievements: Established a piano rreraratory rrogram at Oakland for children aged )-16 Created a pilot program in piano for preschoolers staffed by Oakland pedagogy students. Has conducted research in computer-aided car-training and music theory for young children. Current Project: Coordinating the creation of a computerized music lab that will give students "limitless ability to create sounds" and will introduce them to new music technology. Ranald D. Hansen Psychology "Working with Randy Hansen• Few people equate elegance with rock'n'roll. and I must say Chris also-is Yetelegance shaped Randy Hansen's studies of rock videos. exciting, it's interesting, it's fun. It's also demanding. They're concerned Elegance that gives form and fire to his research work in social about how things are done They psychology. blend creativity and meticulousness very well. Their work's solid "One thing that's important to get across to students is what theoretically And, they're able to happens during an elegant experiment-elegant being something that's design experiments from their simple and very powerful," Hansen says. creativity "I respect them tremendously, "Almost inevitably, you come away with more questions than professionally I've had many answers. And of course, that takes you on this meandering path and opportunities to engage in learning you're just dying to know what happens next." beyond the classroom with Chris and Randy. It does take a lot of Experiments unfolded one into another when Hansen studied rock extra work, but the opportunity is videos with his wife, Oakland University Research Associate Christine there. And that's something that is Hansen, and undergraduate psychology students. They asked questions available to a lot of psychology students here at Oakland. And yes, that crop up elsewhere in Hansen's work: How does gender affect I'd love to work with them again." identity? How does environment "prime" or redirect human behavior? Brenda Yee, a senior majoring in The team first asked Oakland students to rate several popular videos psychology, assisted Ranald and Christine Hansen on their rock video for content. Students labeled some as "depressing" or violent. Some experiments. President of the were "upbeat," emotionally neutral pure entertainment. Some were psychology students' honor society, "sexist," where women are subordinated by men. she is conducting more experiments The researchers then tested if watching "upbeat" or "sexist" videos for the Hansens while they are on developmental leave. could change viewer behavior. It did. Primed by a "sexist" video before viewing a film where a man verbally abuses a women who rejects his advances, most students said the man's behavior was justified. When they saw an "upbeat" video before the film, most students perceived the man as a bully and the woman as right to reject him. The Hansens then recorded 72 hours of rock video broadcasts. They found' 'sexist" videos aired in repetitive time patterns.